[CSB on]In WWII, the US government asked the car makers to create a "General Purpose" vehicle to meet certain specs. This wasn't a contract handed to any one particular auto maker. All of them were asked to submit ideas, designs, whatever. Ford and Willys were the ones that supplied the most, but they weren't the only ones. All of the "General Purpose" vehicles (regardless of the manufacturer) were called "G.P.s" by the soldiers, for short. It didn't take long before "G.P." was shortened to "JEEP".[/CSB off]

[CSB on]In WWII, the US government asked the car makers to create a "General Purpose" vehicle to meet certain specs. This wasn't a contract handed to any one particular auto maker. All of them were asked to submit ideas, designs, whatever. Ford and Willys were the ones that supplied the most, but they weren't the only ones. All of the "General Purpose" vehicles (regardless of the manufacturer) were called "G.P.s" by the soldiers, for short. It didn't take long before "G.P." was shortened to "JEEP".[/CSB off]

[CSB on]In WWII, the US government asked the car makers to create a "General Purpose" vehicle to meet certain specs. This wasn't a contract handed to any one particular auto maker. All of them were asked to submit ideas, designs, whatever. Ford and Willys were the ones that supplied the most, but they weren't the only ones. All of the "General Purpose" vehicles (regardless of the manufacturer) were called "G.P.s" by the soldiers, for short. It didn't take long before "G.P." was shortened to "JEEP".[/CSB off]

Gracious. I only watched that part of it; but, man. The one big thing he couldn't just throw money at to obtain - the one big thing he had to put some effort into - the thing he had so many plans for, to spread out the wealth of the nation out on a table for family and fellow plutocrats - all of it falling away from his future in those few seconds.

mark.jms:Gracious. I only watched that part of it; but, man. The one big thing he couldn't just throw money at to obtain - the one big thing he had to put some effort into - the thing he had so many plans for, to spread out the wealth of the nation out on a table for family and fellow plutocrats - all of it falling away from his future in those few seconds.

Oh, gee. A Republican lied. Must have been lost in all the other lies Republicans tell.

Like the Republican lie that they are the party of personal responsibility.Like the Republican lie that they are the party of fiscal responsibility.Like the Republican lie that Obama is coming for our guns.Like the Republican lie that they are pro-life.Like the Republican lie that America is a Christian nation.Like the Republican lie that anything about America is socialist.

[CSB on]In WWII, the US government asked the car makers to create a "General Purpose" vehicle to meet certain specs. This wasn't a contract handed to any one particular auto maker. All of them were asked to submit ideas, designs, whatever. Ford and Willys were the ones that supplied the most, but they weren't the only ones. All of the "General Purpose" vehicles (regardless of the manufacturer) were called "G.P.s" by the soldiers, for short. It didn't take long before "G.P." was shortened to "JEEP".[/CSB off]

The competition for the design was *won* by the American Bantam Car Company. Although they had the winning design, they did not have the manufacturing capacity to build Jeeps in the quantity needed, so American Bantam's design was given to Ford and Willys to produce. All American Bantam got to build were trailers to be pulled by the Jeeps.

There are also several stories about the name, too. The 'GP' / 'General Purpose' is one. Another is that the vehicles were nicknamed 'Jeep' after 'Eugene the Jeep', a critter from the old Popeye comic strip who could go anywhere.